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Derby boy?

Here’s Postman Sam Harling, who came in third at the North Coast Nightmares roller derby fundraiser, all-male beauty pageant and auction on Saturday, Dec. 1. He auctioned off one-hour of snow shovelling to the highest bidder Skeena Rent-a-Car, who offered to double the amount if he did it in his fundraising drag wear. The team raised enough money to host one home game, plus almost $1000 for the Salvation Army Christmas Hamper.

— image credit: CONTRIBUTED PHOTO

Terrace’s roller derby team, the North Coast Nightmares, hosted a gender-bending fundraiser at the Thornhill Community Centre last Saturday night­—and raised enough money to cover the cost of home game as well as give nearly $1000 to charity.

“I would definitely consider the event a huge success,” said Nightmare Tarea “Dream Warrior” Roberge, of the event, held on Dec. 1, that featured an all-male beauty pageant, auction, dinner, and dance.

“In this one event we raised enough money for Terrace Roller Derby to be able to host a bout right here in Terrace and cover all of the costs related to a home game.”

Roller derby is a burgeoning sport here in the northwest, and because it’s still in the beginning stages, costs can be steep. In order to host games in Terrace, the team needs to cover travel costs for the away teams who come here, not to mention cover their own travel costs.

But while the team has been feeling the financial pressure, this hasn’t stopped them from pushing hard to make roller derby a sport to be reckoned with here in the northwest­—and they’ve been using their know-how to help other northwest communities start teams to build up the area league.

Community support is crucial to the Nightmare’s success, and successful events like these make all of the difference, they say.

“We are so excited to have the pressure (of hosting a home game) lifted from us and move forward with our great plans for local roller derby,” said Roberge.

“We’d really like to thank the community and all the sponsors and volunteers,” she said.

Nine men participated in the beauty pageant, dressing in evening-wear, Christmas-wear and, of course, derby-wear.

Skeena MLA Robin Austin was one of the participants, as well as Jamie Mason and Trevor Lang from CFNR, Eric Lennert, Jonah Preston, Tom Middleton, who took first place, Kyle Ross, who took second, Sam Harling, who took third, and Tim Stephans, who came in fourth.

The pageant auction, where the men auctioned off prizes like dinner for four, an hour on the radio, shovelling snow, and an oil change raised $615 dollars. This, combined with $195 raised from the auctioning of two paintings by local artists Sarah Zimmerman and Chancey Hall, and tips made at the bar, means the group raised over $900 for the Salvation Army Christmas Hamper—because as a group who relies on the community for support, they understand the value of giving back.

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